Plans to Ban the Export of Live Animals for Slaughter and Fattening Unveiled by the Environment Secretary

The Conservative Animal Welfare Foundation welcomes the Government’s announcement of the consultation.

The Conservative Animal Welfare Foundation welcomes the Government’s announcement of a consultation for a ban on the live export of animals for slaughter and fattening.

Launched by Environment Secretary George Eustice, the consultation will also look at proposals to further improve animal welfare in transport reducing maximum journey times, animals given more space and headroom during transport, stricter rules on transporting animals in extreme temperatures, and tighter rules for transporting live animals by sea.

The Rt Hon Sir Roger Gale MP Patron of Conservative Animal Welfare Foundation said:

“ With the completion of Brexit we have been promised an end to the export of live animals for slaughter and today`s announcement is a significant step forward. Having removed the EU roadblock any consultation now needs to be short , sharp, and focused on the practicalities. We have been talking for long enough. We now look forward to action “

Henry Smith MP, Patron of Conservative Animal Welfare Foundation said:

“The announcement of a consultation with an aim to ban live animal exports is yet more welcome welfare development, possible as we have left the EU and another clear commitment from this Conservative government to secure greatly enhanced protections.”

Sir David Amess MP, Patron of Conservative Animal Welfare Foundation said:

After what has seemed an interminable time, I am so very pleased that the UK government has now set in train the process to stop the live export of animals. It is such a cruel practice and one which is totally unnecessary. I would like to thank all the animal welfare organisations who stood shoulder to shoulder with like-minded politicians to reach this momentous point in the journey to raise the welfare of animals.

John Flack, Patron and former MEP and Vice President of the European Parliament’s Animal Welfare Intergroup said:

“The Government is to be congratulated for finally proposing to protect British reared farm animals from potentially thousands of miles of stressful transport to then face a barbaric slaughter. A complete ban for slaughter or fattening is the RIGHT thing to do. I have seen for myself the conditions animals exported from the UK face as they truck across Europe to then often wait for hours in blistering heat to cross the border to Turkey and beyond to a horrific fate. 2021 will go down in history as the year Conservatives ended the Trucking Hell.”


Co-Founder Lorraine Platt commented:

“The announcement of a consultation with an aim to ban live animal exports is welcome. Animals should not be subjected to long gruelling journeys for slaughter and fattening. It is high time for these heartless exports to end. The vast majority of the British public would prefer British farm animals to be slaughtered in the UK and exported as meat, and many find the export of British farm animals to other countries to be reared under conditions illegal in the UK unacceptable.

It is clear that ending live exports will have huge welfare benefits for the animals who experience this horrific practice. Shorter transport times means that they will be less at risk of the potentially severe harms faced by transported animals due to stress, injury, disease, and maltreatment. Moreover, these animals will no longer be at the mercy of other countries’ welfare laws and practices during raising and slaughter, which may be significantly worse than our own. Once abroad, animals are no longer under UK jurisdiction, which is much more welfare-friendly than other neighbouring countries.”


The consultation will last for eight weeks and ends on the 28th January 2021.


Ends

www.conservativeanimalwelfarefoundation.org

About Conservative Animal Welfare Foundation (CAWF)
The Conservative Animal Welfare Foundation was established in 2016 to raise awareness on the lives of billions of animals reared on intensive farms around the world and how this impacts upon animal welfare, the environment, and people’s health. We want to highlight the action people can take to help advance farm animal welfare.

Animal welfare is an increasing concern amongst the general public, who frequently look to Government to take the lead in both maintaining and improving standards

The Conservative Animal Welfare Foundation believes it’s highly important that the welfare of farm animals is placed at the forefront of the Governments plan for food and farming along with its focus on productivity, competitiveness, and technology.

For further information about this press release contact:
info@conservativeanimalwelfarefoundation.org

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